Todd Phillips' Joker goes in a completely different direction than not only Marvel Studios but most comic book movies in general, and according to Phillips, that was always the plan.
"You can’t beat Marvel – it’s a giant behemoth," he told The New York Times. Let’s do something they can’t do." Phillips said in The New York Times.
While the Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for making sprawling, interconnected blockbusters, Phillips made Joker a smaller film that stands alone from the rest of the DCEU. The director even shut down the idea that Joaquin Phoenix's Joker could appear in Matt Reeves' The Batman.
Additionally, Phillips brought the idea to do several standalone films based on DC characters to Warner Bros., meaning there could be more in the future should Joker prove to be a success, which seems likely. Though the film has yet to release worldwide, early predictions for Joker are saying that it could make close to $103 million in its opening weekend. The film has already received rave reviews and even won the Golden Lion at the 2019 Venice Film Festival.
Directed by Todd Phillips, Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Bill Camp, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Douglas Hodge, Marc Maron, Josh Pais and Shea Whigham. The film arrives in theaters Oct. 4.
(via Irish Times)